Can Spirits Help You Win at Gambling? A Las Vegas Field Test (Blog)

[Steve Pavlina]

Originally Posted by Dan.Linehan

How would you interpret a corporation that has a lot of assets but doesn't utilize them?

Is that a reflection of unused potential? Greed?

I'd probably interpret it as inefficiency, but that would depend on the specifics, especially how I personally related to that particular corporation.

[Sentient]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

Your physical senses tell you that you live in a solid world of matter and objects, but of course we know that's just an illusion. You are energy sensing energy. However, you can only consciously perceive an infinitesmal subset of the energy flow you're being bathed in right now.

You can define the cells of your body as internal energy and the environment "outside" your cells as external energy, but that's a fairly inaccurate perspective because the signals intermix so much. So it can be more empowering to consider the perspective that all signals are internal to your consciousness. Whatever you perceive is a part of you.

A book that will help broaden your understanding in this area is The Biology of Belief by Dr. Bruce Lipton.

Thanks for the clarification. I understand what you're saying, but of course still have questions that I'll probably mull over for a while (and most likely indicate I don't understand what you're saying).

It seems pretty arbitrary what you chose to designate as "you" in this system. Sounds like you realized it was fuzzy so you just decided not to draw a line at all and said "you're all encompassing."

I haven't quite wrapped my head around that one and how I want to reconcile it with things that, to me, seem like they're entirely outside of me. I can't understand how the things I'm completely morally opposed to are a reflection of me. Of course, if they exist and you define me as everything, then de facto it works. It just obviously doesn't feel like it's appropriate to draw the "me" marker that wide.

If you're talking about how my experience is determined by how I interrelate to certain phenomena, I could get on board. It's tougher when you're saying that I am certain phenomena.

To be honest, I'm not even sure I understand a word I just wrote. It definitely feels like I just engaged in dorm room philosophy. I'll let it sit for a while.

I almost bought the Bruce Lipton book a while back but became discouraged after reading the reviews written by other cellular biologists on Amazon. They didn't have too high of an opinion of him. They thought he was doing a pretty marvelous job of twisting somewhat banal biological facts into supporting a preconceived philosophical viewpoint.

[Steve Pavlina]

Originally Posted by Sentient

I almost bought the Bruce Lipton book a while back but became discouraged after reading the reviews written by other cellular biologists on Amazon. They didn't have too high of an opinion of him. They thought he was doing a pretty marvelous job of twisting somewhat banal biological facts into supporting a preconceived philosophical viewpoint.

Dr. Lipton has made enemies in the field because his work threatens the funding his colleagues receive, especially those that worked on the Human Genome Project (which Lipton claims was largely a scam).

When your ideas threaten people's finances, it's unavoidable that you're going to get attacked.

That doesn't mean Lipton is correct of course, but I wouldn't let the negative reviews scare you off, since the consequences of his work means such criticism may be more personal than professional.

Remember what Einstein said about violent opposition.

I attended a 6-hour workshop from Lipton in June and found his ideas fascinating, especially the way our cells receive, process, and transmit signals, including our own thoughts and the thoughts of others.

[supertom]

speaking of Dr. Lipton you guys should check out his work on parenting

[cnwoods]

Steve, I applaud your courage and no, I don't think you're mad.
(Mind you, with what passes for 'sane' these days, I think anyone that wants to be, needs to have their head read!)

In the spirit of open acknowledgement, I want to say I have the same experience with my mum, who passed of cancer 2 years ago. I 'see' her now more than I ever did. Fortunately, we had a wonderful discussion before she passed where she told me what she'd be using as a sign that she was around: a red leaf. She passed in spring, but the morning afterwards I found a leaf directly under my balcony that bore absolutely no resemblance to any of the trees within a 3 block radius. It's now in a frame along with her picture. I, too, talk to her often, although it's my belief she already knows pretty much all of what's going on. I try to stay open to the messages she sends to me, though, and yes some of the promptings I've had have ended up in incredible 'luck' happening.

For all those who got stuck on the part about sceptics, I don't see the issue. "A man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still" - why would anyone with a bigger picture view try to force changes on someone who's not going to accept them???

Crystal

[LifeIsAGame420]

Like Steve I was given the power to see the truth and it is my life long mission to educate the world so that they may also understand the true nature of reality and their ultimate purpose in life, to evolve. My current goal is to get elected into office and become the next prime minister of Canada.

[LifeIsAGame420]

Originally Posted by cnwoods

Steve, I applaud your courage and no, I don't think you're mad.
(Mind you, with what passes for 'sane' these days, I think anyone that wants to be, needs to have their head read!)

In the spirit of open acknowledgement, I want to say I have the same experience with my mum, who passed of cancer 2 years ago. I 'see' her now more than I ever did. Fortunately, we had a wonderful discussion before she passed where she told me what she'd be using as a sign that she was around: a red leaf. She passed in spring, but the morning afterwards I found a leaf directly under my balcony that bore absolutely no resemblance to any of the trees within a 3 block radius. It's now in a frame along with her picture. I, too, talk to her often, although it's my belief she already knows pretty much all of what's going on. I try to stay open to the messages she sends to me, though, and yes some of the promptings I've had have ended up in incredible 'luck' happening.

For all those who got stuck on the part about sceptics, I don't see the issue. "A man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still" - why would anyone with a bigger picture view try to force changes on someone who's not going to accept them???

Crystal

I cried for a few seconds when i read you're story, you're mother will always be with you, but also within everything as is "god"

[LifeIsAGame420]

We all work within reality because it is the only true state, any other views are kinda delusional. Look at evolution, study dinasaurs, science and fact are constants (If they are true) as is reality. Truth is beauty and beauty is truth.

Have you ever looked at the mirror and saw yourself looking extra good or extra bad? Does your image change? This is a phase variance in some way, you are not yet locked into the reality that exists, the reality of the Universe.

Long ago man strayed from his true path but visionaries helped direct humanity towards the truth (Like Jesus) However at the time of Jesus they had limited scientific evidence. The reason people like me and Steve are able to perceive reality in such a measurable and applicable form is simply because of our education, life experiences, experiments, quest for truth, and the ability to detect truth. This detection of truth goes like this:

The Matrix:

Taking the red pill= waking up to reality. Currently there are so many drug addicts, why are they addicts? Is it simply because of the Dopamine response of these drugs? I think not. Reality is hard to deal with because of how far we have strayed from what is our true path, the path of Evolution. These addicts or others (often very intelligent people) do not fully understand the true nature of the universe and therefore reality is unbearable, and many have ended their lives because of it.

The reason people like me and Steve reach out to you people is because we are uncorrupted by such things as greed, we simply want to be the best we can be that is our ultimate motivation. Yes Steve wants to make money and that motivates him however he is being directed by the cosmic force, the force that moves us to create movies, art, and such. The universe is the force that is evolving us. However we are one with the Universe.

[LifeIsAGame420]

I also want to state that Moses, Steve, Jesus, Mohamed, and the Buddha are all symbols of and manifestations of the universe working through humans.

[LifeIsAGame420]

Finally, the "messiah" that is referred to often is the human who will finally bring humanity back to reality and optimize our evolution. However we will all become the messiah until the change is permanent. In my mind's eye the final frontier space will be the infinite challenge that will allow humans to live forever and always work together. Consider that the universe or "God" is also manifesting its consciousness, the Universe itself and reality.

[LifeIsAGame420]

Originally Posted by Niki

I don't know why Consciousness as the first creator is more likely because there is no proof. That's just a thinking flaw. That's just assuming something for the sake of assuming something

Saying the universe is made of states of consciousness and then thinking you understand the universe is just as flawed as saying the universe is made of tiny pizza's that we cannot see. It's an assumption of something you really don't know. At least science is smart enough to say they don't know.

And if a scientist comes out saying he talked to a ghost, but cannot reproduce it in front of watchers, than that is no proof indeed. That's what science is (mostly) all about, reproducing results.

Your assumptions are led by philosophers and teachings, but when will you empty your head and think for your self?

Emptying the head, or learning from all your experiences is the only way to truth and reality. It is by understanding and sleep that we begin to unravel the mysteries of the universe. This is where your quest begins.

[LifeIsAGame420]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

There is no proof because you've decided not to allow any proof to come to you. You've chosen to live in the reality of skepticism where proof of such things is impossible. If you saw such proof, you could no longer be a skeptic, and that would violate your free will to choose skepticism. So you will never see such proof.

You cannot see the color red while peering through a blue lens. You can only see red after you *decide* to put down the blue lens. Until you make that decision of your own free will, your world will always be devoid of red.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. You've chosen to live in the skeptic's world. It's what you've decided to experience. I think what you may not clearly realize though is that skepticism was a choice you made. You weren't always a skeptic, but at some point you decided to experience skepticism. However, you've been looking through this lens for so long that you've largely forgotten that the lens is still there and that you can make a new choice to put it down and consider another perspective.

When we hold a single lens for so long, there's a risk of it being woven into our identity. We become the lens. That's very limiting.

Spirits cannot come to you and make their appearance known. That's like asking the color red to present itself in front of a blue lens. Your lens of skepticism is filtering them out. That's the very nature of the lens. You cannot blame the spirits for being unable to reach you. After all, you're the one who decided to look at reality through the lens of skepticism, one they cannot penetrate. If you decide to close your eyes, you cannot blame the world for being invisible.

While I can also look at reality through the lens of skepticism, that isn't my preferred lens, and I don't weave it into my identity. I can have experiences that (for me) violate the lens of skepticism because I allow and invite them to come to me without blocking them. I'm certainly not alone in this.

The way I got past skepticism wasn't to turn to faith. It was to become an even bigger doubter. I began to question skepticism itself. I started asking myself, "What if there are non-physical entities all around me, and I'm blocking myself from seeing them?" At first I thought that would be very scary because it would tear apart my comfortable view of reality if it were true. But I had to know if it was possible. So I started saying to the universe, "Ok... if there is more to life than just the physical universe, show it to me. I'm open to seeing it now, even if it turns my entire world view upside down."

The universe obliged. All sorts of stuff started coming through, beginning with the most "impossible" synchronicities, stuff that seemed like it would have had to affect the past as well as the present. Within months I was doing lucid dreaming and having astral experiences. To be totally honest, it was not a pleasant time. I was freaked out quite often. My skeptical friends thought I was nuts and kept trying to talk me back down, but it was too late. My intention had opened some kind of door. This was more than 14 years ago.

If you need to see proof *before* you step through the door, you aren't ready to step through the door. The proof only appears when you drop the old lens and willingly decide to experience other perspectives.

Imagine what it would do to you if you did see proof of non-physical entities interacting with physical reality. What if you learned that privacy was only an illusion? Really give that some thought. Is that really a door you want to walk through?

If you really do want to walk through that door, then simply ask. Visualize yourself putting down the lens of skepticism -- you always have the freedom to pick it back up again -- and walking into a new room where all the proof you seek exists. Ask your reality to bring you new experiences that would violate the lens of skepticism. Say aloud, "Show me what I've been filtering out all this time."

I don't recommend you do this, however, unless you're very brave.

Steve if you truly believe that reality does not exist then try a little experiment. I'm not sure how long this will take you but try to empty your mind of the belief that Black is black. Begin to believe that black is actually white, do everything in your power to see black as white even unlearning the concept of "color". When you finally become exhausted you will know if what you see is real or not.

[LifeIsAGame420]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

Because that is the truth.

One of the most important truths to accept is that perception is a creative lens.

Perception is a creative lens, however there is only one correct perception, the perception of reality.

[LifeIsAGame420]

Consider that if there is only one true reality then it is certainly possible that there is one true path for humanity, one true path for you. If you stray from this path: for example stealing the ideas here for the purpose of greed you will suffer so significantly that you will become mad later in life and probably go to hell. Possibly a hell that you have manifested because there will always be a part of you that knows the truth. It was not simply the fear of going to prison that stopped Steve from stealing but his soul directed him to live his life approaching the limit of optimality. If you live a life like me and Steve then you will not only enter Nirvana as i have, but also become immortal and you will spend eternity in optimal bliss(Heaven)

[LifeIsAGame420]

All religions do not give raw truth, but they are full of stories that must be perceived and interpreted. As you're beliefs become more and more close to truth then you will read a passage from the Torah, Bible, Koran, and such and understand the true meaning of what was written by god. There is a god, and one day if you continue on the path of science (one of mans tools for understanding truth) you will one day know this for certain, even if you are skeptical.

[LifeIsAGame420]

Originally Posted by fountainAtlas

Steve,

I have read many of your post and I found a great deal of them to be helpful (time management). This is difficult for me to say and I am really trying not to be condescending or anything. But sometimes, people really go a little too far into themselves. I cannot call you weird, for you are too wealthy, but you are obviously eccentric (and I know you don't mind/care that is how I refer to you).

Are you sure you do not want to do a check for lead in your cooking gear, or mercury, or some other pollutants in your food supply. It is possible that I only view this as "impossible" because of some of my own limiting beliefs, but it is also "possible" that you may be going crazy.

I hope you continue to write about personal development, about list making and time management.

Lastly, I am sorry for your loss.

-FountainAtlas

Steve is not crazy, he is exploring the nature of reality. On the way there one may experience a lot of suffering, fear and denial as I have. The key is to not give up, ever. Never give up. I repeat never give up. Say this to yourself now and believe it, you will dream of your fears, when this happens choose to fight the fear by awareness. Always confront your emotions, understand them, understand your life. Understand the world. Understand the Universe. Understand the limits of the Universe. Understand that there is no limits to the universe. Understand that there is no limit to your power. Understand that there is no limit to limit. Understand that there is no limit to understanding. Understand that there is no limit to truth. Understand that your soul will never give up. Understand that you are a good person. understand that you have an unbreakable will. Understand that you cannot die. Understand that you are not a human being, but your body is. Understand that all Sentient beings have souls. Understand that Humans have the power to change. Understand that all you do in life is a direct manifestation of god and that you will always move in the direction you choose. Understand that you choose your destiny. Understand that your destiny is influenced by truth. Understand that you are part of the Universe and that god is directing you by the rules. Understand the rules. Understand why you are crying right now, if that is so. Understand why you fear what you read if that is so. Understand why Hitler was defeated. Understand why violence when not performed according to the rules of god leads to suffering. understand why ants will give their life to protect their queen. Understand why you will give your life for god. Understand why you will give your life for truth. Understand how important survival is. Understand why some live long lives and others very short ones. Understand.

-God

[LifeIsAGame420]

Originally Posted by Spartan

Why? Skeptics won't break down in tears and go on a murderous rampage just because they are proved wrong you know. I consider it more immoral to simply discriminate against the less gullible.

Also, you talk about free will as if everone has absolute freedom over their beliefs. I disagree. Choices are determined by our beliefs and desires, but the causal chain doesn't stop there. Our beliefs and desires are caused by our past experiences and biological make-up. Hence, we have free will, but only in the sense that we could have done otherwise if our biological make-up and past experiences, and hence beliefs and desires had been different.

Furthermore, it is impossible that anything can be attributed meaning outside of the context of our language. Humans exist, they invent language and words like good and bad, then they ascribe the definition of those words to other things in existence. 'Existence precedes essence'. Thus without humans there would be no good or bad. Hence any absolute Karmic meaning of the words good and bad, as you allude to, is impossible.

Why was this user banned? Please give truth.

[LifeIsAGame420]

Also understand how my elevated logical and creative IQ, my ability to succeed in science so profoundly allowed me discover the truth.

[LifeIsAGame420]

I was born Jewish. The rules of mathematics prove that you cannot do better or worse at blackjack, it is a game based on rules and only if you break those rules and cheat can you win more than half the time.

[Angela]

Originally Posted by LifeIsAGame420

Why was this user banned? Please give truth.

He himself requested that he be banned, and his request was complied with.

Spartan's request

[kdcaboy]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

The way I got past skepticism wasn't to turn to faith. It was to become an even bigger doubter. I began to question skepticism itself. I started asking myself, "What if there are non-physical entities all around me, and I'm blocking myself from seeing them?" At first I thought that would be very scary because it would tear apart my comfortable view of reality if it were true. But I had to know if it was possible. So I started saying to the universe, "Ok... if there is more to life than just the physical universe, show it to me. I'm open to seeing it now, even if it turns my entire world view upside down."

The universe obliged. All sorts of stuff started coming through, beginning with the most "impossible" synchronicities, stuff that seemed like it would have had to affect the past as well as the present. Within months I was doing lucid dreaming and having astral experiences. To be totally honest, it was not a pleasant time. I was freaked out quite often. My skeptical friends thought I was nuts and kept trying to talk me back down, but it was too late. My intention had opened some kind of door. This was more than 14 years ago.

If you need to see proof *before* you step through the door, you aren't ready to step through the door. The proof only appears when you drop the old lens and willingly decide to experience other perspectives.

Imagine what it would do to you if you did see proof of non-physical entities interacting with physical reality. What if you learned that privacy was only an illusion? Really give that some thought. Is that really a door you want to walk through?

Wow Steve, I just read backwards in this topic and this sounds so familiar! And talk about turning my world upside down... For me this happened while I was just beginning to get clean from years of drug abuse, and I was absolutely terrified, it was so difficult to sort out delusional experiences from experiences that I trusted and believed in. I still have some trouble to this day :-/

Fortunately during this awakening of sorts I have recalled many experiences from when I was much younger (especially involving lucid dreaming and intuition) and have learned that many of the things I have been learning I must have always known, but never understood intellectually so after a while I guess I just forgot about them.

Speaking of privacy, years ago now my intuitive voice started telling me that my thoughts aren't truly private and to get used to it! This has been a tough challenges... I'm still clinging to that one...

I've been lucky to have some amazing teachers during the last few years, one of which is a former CEO of an Artificial Intelligence R&D company. After some of the long talks we've had about how different AI systems work and make decisions, I found the way my own thinking process worked began to change! It became very easy to mix and match ideas of my own, and to watch my reality change almost immediately before my eyes.

However... This opening up started with a single experience when I was laying in bed really frustrated and depressed, and during this "experience" my intuitive voice told me that, for lack of better words, everything that I would learn would "reduce to one" and that all I needed to do was trust my intuition. For a long time I have struggled with internalizing the ideas of spirits and auras, because they seem to me just external devices to believe in instead of my own intuition. It's almost as if I refuse to let those in because to do so would mean I'm not "good enough" to simply trust and believe in *myself,* and that would mean I'm a failure. And of course that brings me back to the crux of the problem, not believing in myself! Whew. This has been the most frustrating conundrum so far. It's a mental trap I need to find my way out of.

After reading one of your recent replies I have been reminding myself that even though spirits and auras and such things may be "outside" of oneself, they are still just a projection of what's internal and are no less real and valid. And with that, perhaps they are even a useful and beneficial tool for us humans who are so used to looking outside of ourselves? Would it be too easy if we could let go completely and just trust and believe in ourselves? I'll have to keep working on this one...

Thanks Steve for the great articles and the forum to talk about this in!

- James